The Untan Trail — once the route along which miners risked their lives hauling coal, the sole domestic fuel that powered South Korea's economic development — is now offering a new gift to the country's 21st-century descendants.
Just below the trail lies Dorongi Pond, a pool that formed where a mine shaft caved in. Families of miners prayed day after day for their sons and husbands to return safely from underground.
After the coal mines closed, the Untan Trail, its sky-high ridge path and Dorongi Pond were converted into an autumn trekking route, offering visitors a refreshing escape into nature. This year, the Gangwon Tourism Foundation has decided to go further, pledging additional benefits to help revitalize the economies of the four cities and counties that make up the coal-industry transition zone.
The foundation announced Friday that it will launch the "Untan Station" program in September to provide travelers on Untan Trail 1330 with a range of conveniences and benefits, and to encourage longer stays and more local spending.
Untan Station is designed as a network of local hospitality hubs where trail walkers can rest, eat, stay and enjoy themselves. Restaurants, cafes, accommodations and activity facilities across Taebaek, Samcheok, Yeongwol-gun and Jeongseon-gun will be designated as Untan Stations, letting travelers experience and linger in each community as they make their way along the trail.
The foundation aims to use Untan Station to extend visitors' time in the area and boost local spending. The program will run for roughly three months, from September through November. Participating businesses will receive between 150,000 and 300,000 won ($108 to $215) per month in local gift certificates, depending on the services they provide and their performance on various program tasks. The foundation plans to promote participating businesses to travelers through online and offline campaigns tied to the Untan Trail 1330 brand, and to strengthen links with other local tourism resources.
To that end, the foundation is accepting applications from small businesses in Taebaek, Samcheok, Yeongwol-gun and Jeongseon-gun through Sunday. Restaurants, cafes, accommodations, activity facilities and any other businesses capable of serving Untan Trail 1330 travelers are eligible to apply. Final participants will be selected through a document review and expert evaluation.
"Untan Station will be a trusted rest stop for travelers and a chance for local small-business owners to meet new tourism customers," Gangwon Tourism Foundation CEO Choe Seong-hyeon said. "We will continue to expand a sustainable tourism foundation built together with residents, so that walking the trail leads to staying and spending in the community."
Meanwhile, Kangwon Land's Hi-One Resort, which manages sections of the Untan Trail, will hold another international trekking event on the trail's sky-high ridge path this autumn.
abc@heraldcorp.com
